Make A Wish
by Synonyms4cinnamon
Summary: Kaelin has nothing left to live for. Everyone she's ever cared about is dead. Drug overdoses don't work. She's tried 15 times. Everyone thinks she's crazy. Wonderland appears to be everything she's ever wished for, but is it too good to be true?
1. Angels and Pills

The preacher closes his bible. The sound echoes in the silent church. It's like a slap across the face telling me that I'll never see them again. Never hear her laugh. Never feel his warm arms around me. Never smell her perfume. Suddenly, all of my nevers become my reality. Her laugh echoes off of the stone walls, overpowering every other sound with its melodic chiming. His body heat fills the room, scorching me in my seat. The scent of her perfume fills the air, suffocating me. Bells, heat, flowers. I can't take it anymore. I jump out of my seat and run for the exit. People stare as I run down the aisle. I would have stared, too. A girl in baggy Scooby- Doo pajama pants and a white T-shirt running out of a funeral? Not something you see every day. I don't care. They already think I'm crazy. Why not go with it.

Once I'm outside, I can breathe again and the noise stops. Tears spring up in my eyes. I keep running. I'm in the cemetery, when I trip over a root. It sends me spiraling into a young cherry in full bloom. I crawl up against its trunk and bawl. No one comes for me. I just sit there clinging to the tree. It's the only thing that doesn't spin around me. The world passes by so fast. I swear I'll be thrown off of the edge of the earth if I let go.

The spinning stops, but I still hold onto the tree for dear life, convinced it will start up again. Tears are still streaming out of my eyes, though they remain firmly shut. I must look crazy. No one else experiences what I do. That's why they sent me there. I'll never go back. Never. They can't make me.

I dig in my bag. It's huge, grey, and I've been basically living out of it for the past three weeks. I find what I'm looking for after several minutes of searching. It's an orange plastic tube. The tube itself isn't important at all, but what's inside of it is precious. I unscrew the white lid and pour the menagerie of colorful pills into my hand. I swallow each pill individually and pray that it will work this time. I sit there for a few minutes waiting for the pills to kick in.

I can't believe it. It didn't work. Again. My body must be truly amazing. I don't even feel high, let alone dead. What a shame. If I died in a cemetery they wouldn't have to move me far. I start laughing hysterically. I don't know what's funny, but I can't stop.

"Is something funny, miss?" a voice asks. I look up. Some dude is standing over me. He has white hair. Huh, angels do exist. "Is here where you would like to stay? If not I know a place far away."

The rhyming thing is annoying. I hope I don't have to stay with this loser. But, "a place far away"? Heaven hear I come. "Take me there," I say. I offer a hand and he helps me up. I grab my bag and follow him. We don't say anything. We walk through an overgrown forest, and I nearly break my ankle on a root. I'm exhausted by the time we reach a large hole. He motions for me to jump down it. Isn't heaven up? Down is hell. I'm not going to hell. I push the creep down the hole. He screams curses up at me. I don't really care.

I start walking back to the cemetery. I can't believe I actually thought that idiot was an angel. I shrug off my stupidity and keep walking. I go to step on solid ground, but the moss, grass and tree roots give way beneath me. The hole had been completely overgrown. I find myself falling. _Oh well,_ I think. _I guess you can't escape hell after all._ I just enjoy the sensation of falling and pray that I fall forever.


	2. Acrobatics and Tea

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. I hit the ground hard. I landed in a bush. A rose bush, that is. Those little thorny things hurt. I'll be picking them out of me for days.

After cursing my bad luck, I look around. I'm in a forest. It's green and lush. This isn't what I pictured hell like at all. Where are the flames? Where is the devil guy with the little horns? Oh well, it has to be hell for some reason.

I walk in no particular direction. I think I'm headed west, but who knows? After hours of monotonous forest, I think I see something in the distance. As I get closer, I can see that it's a mansion. There's a gate, but no gatekeepers. I look at the high wall surrounding the property and I can't resist. I've never been good at resisting temptation.

I take of my scuffed combat boots and leave them and my bag on the ground. It takes me mere seconds to scale the twenty foot wall with the vines growing on it. Once I'm at the top, I realize that the top is wider than I'd hoped. Putting my disappointment aside, I begin to do complex acrobatics I haven't practiced in years. I do back handsprings, aerials, cartwheels, front flips, back flips, front handsprings, round offs, handstands, and many other things I just made up in no particular order. My favorite was flipping over the gate, knowing that if I fell I would most likely be skewered. I pushed myself to go faster. Faster. Faster.

I must have been a blur when I heard someone call out from below. I finished the succession back hand springs at six and held a handstand as I looked down at them. Two boys, one in red and one in blue stared up at me. They looked like they had just seen the eighth wonder of the world.

"What?" I called down to them. "I didn't hear you."

"I said we're the gate keepers!" the one in blue screamed.

"And we're not supposed to let people get in, so could you come down here so we can kill you, please," the one in red finished. I think he said something else, but I didn't hear. I could only stare at him. I'd never have thought he'd go to hell, but there he was coming out of the woods. His wavy, golden hair gleamed in the sunlight just like it always had. I touched my feet to the wall just long enough to go flying at him through the air like a demented spider monkey.

I connected squarely with his chest. I must have had more velocity than I thought I did, because I knocked him clean on his back. I looked into his violet eyes, waiting for them to spark with joy at the fact I was here with him. But the only thing in his eyes was confusion and anger. I rolled off of him, hopes crushed. I rolled into a ball on the ground.

"What was that," not him demanded. I look up only to see a gun and two scythes pointed at me. I didn't really care. This was supposed to be torture, right? Let the punishment begin.

"Stop," a calm voice says. I look over at a man with spiky black hair and a hat. "Don't hurt our little outsider friend."

"Outsider?" not him asks. "Sorry, I didn't know. I'm Elliot. What's your name?"

"Kaelin," I respond cautiously. Suddenly, tears well up in my eyes. The loss of him being here hits me like a ton of bricks.

"You're crying," Elliot says. "Are you hurt?" I shake my head. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

Remembering my favorite dish I tentatively ask, "Do you have any carrot cake?" He smiles and nods his head.

"You know the best place for carrot cake?" asks the top hat dude. "A tea party. You do like tea, don't you, Kaelin?"

I don't have the heart to tell him I absolutely hate tea, so I agree. He says that the tea party will be held at midnight. The two gatekeepers, Dee and Dum, are ordered to help me get ready for the party. One takes each hand as they drag me toward the mansion.

"What do you want to wear?" Dee says gesturing to a room full of dresses.

"Um, I have something in my bag to wear," I tell them. "I'll put it on if you leave."

The two boys begrudgingly leave. I undress and pull on my outfit. I slide the floor-length, light blue, paisley skirt up my legs. Then, I pull out my patent leather corset. I grin seeing my old friend again. I do the lace ribbon that holds in together up the front, ending in a bow. I look at myself in the full body mirror. I'm glad that the corset has a built in push-up in it, because straps would have looked weird with the sleeveless corset. When I come out, both of the boys are speechless.

"Are you sure you want to wear that?" they ask in unison. A mischievous idea pops into my head at that moment.

"Not really," I sigh. "Would you like to help me pick out a dress?" They nod. Perfect.

Seconds after I lock the door to the room, I have both of them hog-tied and gagged. They wriggle in a corner, but it's useless. I've won more than one rodeo. I hum to myself and look though dresses, biding time until night comes.

I walk into the back yard with my two grumbling prisoners behind me. We're a tad bit late, but I didn't think it was that hard to dress two thirteen year-old boys. The table's already set. Elliot and top hat guy are sipping tea. When they see us, Elliot starts laughing hysterically.

"Stop laughing chicken rabbit!" Dee shouted.

"Yeah, it's not funny!" his twin snapped.

"It's totally hilarious," Elliot laughed. "She switched your colors, and you're in poofy, frilly dresses! Nice work."

"Thank you," I grin, taking my seat. The twins grumble the entire way to their seats. I'm beside top hat guy.

"By the way," top hat dude said, politely. "I'm Blood Dupre. It's so nice to meet you. Alice being the country slut is getting boring. It's nice to have someone new."

Did he just call me a slut? He doesn't even know me. I fume and eat my carrot cake in silence. It's extremely good, but having to eat it beside Blood sours the taste.

"Is something wrong," Blood asks second later. Well, duh you called me a slut! "You haven't touched your tea, yet."

"I've never actually had it before," I lie. They all look at me like I just grew another arm and a third eye. I wonder how they would have looked at me if I'd told them I couldn't stand the vile substance.

"Try it," Elliot urges pushing me a cup. It smells horrible, but I get another one of my great ideas seeing the clouds of steam drift off of it. I take a huge sip of the tea, almost draining the cup. It scalds my mouth. I promptly turn to Blood, who had his face inches from mine and spit my mouthful of the searing liquid in his face. I miss a little, but all it does is coat him in it. He jumps up out of his seat and dances as the tea finds its way into his pants. He runs to the mansion screaming curses.

The others are staring at me, wide eyed. I take a bite of carrot cake and don't wait to swallow before I say, "I never did like tea."


	3. The Devil of Wonderland

"So…" Elliot said after a long silence. Blood hadn't come back. "Kaelin, why'd you attack me earlier?"

"Yeah, why?" the twins wanted to know.

"You look like someone I knew," I muttered.

"Who?" everyone asked in unison.

"My brother," I said. A look of disbelief appeared on everyone's faces.

"You're brother?" Elliot asked with disbelief on his face. "I was hoping for a lost lover like Alice and Blood."

"Who's Alice?" I ask.

"You haven't met the lady, yet?" Dum asked.

"You have to meet the lady!" Dee concluded.

"Maybe tomorrow," I told them.

"That still doesn't explain why you felt the need to jump on me," Elliot thought out loud. "Why?"

I sigh. I'd better get this over with. I let out a breath before I say, "My brother's dead. His name was Erick. He was two years older than me. He was smart, funny, and in the military. He was on leave and home for the holidays, when he got into a car crash. He died on impact. Can I go to bed, now?"

"S-s-sure," Elliot stuttered. "I'll walk you to your room."

I followed Elliot through the winding hallways of the mansion, until we reached a familiar door. I bade him good night and collapsed onto the bed. At least the beds were comfortable in hell. It wasn't long before I fell into a comatose state.

There's a man floating in front of me. Around me there is nothing but blackness. The guy has an eye patch, but I don't think he's a pirate. I don't see a parrot.

"My name is Nightmare, milady," he says.

"I'm Kaelin. Can you dream in hell?" I ask him. Personally, I never thought you could.

"I don't know. If you think the place you're sleeping right now is hell, then you're wrong. This isn't hell, but Wonderland. Though depending on your stay it may become hell."

"Oh, Wonderland makes more sense, I guess." He's about to say something else, but I'm awoken form the dream by someone bouncing me around.

I awake, only to find Elliot gagging me. My hands and feet are already bound. He mutters apologies as he throws me over his shoulder and carries me down the hall. Elliot isn't good at tying gags. I work mine off of my mouth in seconds. I have nothing to say to him, though. I just go with it. He walks for a minute or two before I notice them. Elliot has rabbit ears sticking out of his head. How long have they been there? I don't know. Elliot drops me off in a room occupied by hundreds of books… and Blood. Yay. Elliot mutters a final apology, before leaving.

Blood unties my ankles and wrists. Then he grabs my throat with one hand and lifts me off of the ground. "I told Alice once in this same position how I've always dreamt of killing an outsider. Alas, I grew too attached to her before I had the chance. Now here you are. You've been nothing but a nuisance since you arrived here. Yet, I can't kill you either." He walks toward his desk and swipes everything off of it. "Everyone will fall in love with you. You didn't know that, did you? You couldn't have even come here unless you possessed qualities that would make us love you. The love you attract is different than Alice's love, though. Hers is romantic. Yours is territorial. I feel the need to protect you. Like a big brother. Funny. Isn't it?"

Wait. Everyone will fall in love with me? That's kind of creepy. And like a big brother. Blood is nothing like Erick. Erick was kind and sweet. Blood is stoic and cold. No way. But, anyone that loves me dies. That's the curse that's been on me since birth. I don't want to be responsible for the death of everyone in Wonderland. Maybe I won't though. The old witch said that anyone that _truly_ loves me will die. If I'm just a temporary infatuation, they get to keep their lives. That's why it took fifteen years for my family to die. They were scared of loving me for a long time.

I am an idiot. I can't believe I hadn't run when I'd had the chance, because soon enough, Blood had grabbed my throat again. This time he laid me down on his barren desk. His body covered mine immediately. He kissed the crook of my neck, not touching his hand that still had a firm hold of my throat. His free hand pulled one if the strands of the bow that held my shirt closed. Slowly, he undid each cross of ribbon. I became increasingly aware that I wasn't wearing a bra. Finally, the ribbon fell to the floor.

When Blood let go of my throat, I made my move. I swiftly kneed him in the crotch. He drew back just far enough so that I could get in two quick jabs to his face. One landed on his nose that made a sickening crunch and immediately began squirting blood. The other hit on his eye. That was sure to bruise. I pushed him away and made a run for it, holding my shirt together with one hand. I dashed to my room faster than I'd ever run in my life. I changed my shirt, before going to leave.

The front door was within my sights when Elliot spotted me. He was wearing nothing but orange pajama bottoms with carrots on them. Then, the carrot pattern began to blur. Great, I was crying.

"What's wrong? Where are you going?" he asked. He looked down at my neck and gasped. I wondered what was wrong with my neck, when I realized. Crap, Blood's hand must've left a mark on my neck. "Come on," he said taking my hand. "I'm taking you to Alice."

We moved silently in the darkness. I didn't know what Elliot thought happened, but it must be pretty close to the truth. If he thought something else happened, I don't think he would be walking through a forest with me in the freezing night air if he thought any different. Blood must do this a lot if he doesn't even have to ask me what happened. Wonderland might not be hell, but it has a devil. I'd met him up close and personal. At least now I know why Blood Dupre wears a hat. His horns must not match his eyes.


	4. Time to Play

"Elliot, where are we going?" I asked tentatively.

"The clock tower," he said, dragging me by my hand. I saw the huge building rise above the tree line. I assumed it was the clock tower. It had a huge clock on it, anyways. Elliot never let up on his death grip on my hand. I didn't ask him to stop, even though it started to throb. I much preferred this than the death grip Blood had had on my throat. I was lead up a long, winding staircase. I hate stairs. I think they're pointless. Hasn't Wonderland ever heard of elevators?

We came to the top about five minutes later. I was out of breath, but Elliot hadn't even broken a sweat. His grip on my hand hadn't lightened, either. He pushed open a door, and what I saw inside shocked me. There was a guy maybe in his early twenties with long purple hair down to his waist. His one ear was pierced with a clock dangling from it. His broad shoulder almost hid what was happening, but not completely. His lips were locked with those of a younger girl. Maybe sixteen or so. She had long blonde hair. She adorned a blue dress and a frilly white apron. Just looking at the outfit made me shudder. Both their eyes were closed, so they didn't notice us until Elliot cleared his throat. A good three minutes later, mind you.

The girl looked up and instantly pulled away. A blush colored her cheeks. "Hi, Elliot," she squeaked.

Looking annoyed the guy said, "Elliot, what could have possibly possessed you to come to my home this late in the evening half naked?"

"Her," he said, pushing me forward. "She needs protected. She was staying at the mansion, but I'm not thinking that's the best idea anymore."

"Why?" the girl asked.

"Get me some coffee and I'll tell you," Elliot said drearily.

"BLOOD DID WHAT!" they guy they called Julius screamed after Elliot told his tale.

"Are you sure?" whispered the Alice girl.

"I'm almost positive this little filly isn't a virgin anymore," he sighed.

"Hey!" I said. "I'm still a virgin"

"Then how'd you get that hand mark on your neck?" Elliot sneered not believing me.

"Blood tried," I mumbled. "He'd already unlaced my corset. I kneed him in the crotch and broke his nose, though. He might have a black eye tomorrow, too."

"You must've beat him up bad," Julius sighed.

"Serves him right," Alice snapped. Turning to Elliot she asked, "Is this the first time?"

"Unfortunately not," he said remorsefully. "I can't name a female servant we have that he hasn't violated. They always have a red hand mark on their necks afterward."

"Thank you for bringing her here," Julius said. "There are some things we need to discus."

"I'd better be going," Elliot yawned. "Boss'll have a fit if he knows I've been out so long"

We said our goodbyes. I think I held on too long when I hugged him, but I couldn't help myself. Being pressed up against his lean, chiseled body reminded me of Erick hugging me when I had a bad dream a long time ago. A happy time. A time before Dad left. A time before he went off to war. A time before Mom put me in an insane asylum. Elliot was like a time machine that brought back the happiness. Something that's been gone a long time.

"So, Kaelin," Julius said all business-like. "Have you drunken the medicine yet?"

"What medicine?" I asked.

"Good," he sighed. "Reach into your pockets."

I did as he said. My pockets were empty. "There's nothing there," I told him. "Should I try the pants I was wearing when I got here?"

"Yes." I got out the Scooby-Doo pajama pants and reached into the deep pockets. Sure enough, my hand closed around a glass vial. I pulled it out for closer inspection. It was yellowish in color and filled to the brim with a red liquid. At the top was a rubber heart shaped stopper.

"Excellent," Julius breathed. "If you had drunken that you would have had to stay here until it had filled up again."

"So if I drank this I would have to stay here until the vial filled up with liquid again, right?" I clarified. Julius nodded. I quickly took out the heart stopper and downed the medicine. Julius gaped at me. Alice walked in just as I smashed the glass vial on the tile floor. She screamed and dropped the tray of coffee she had been carrying. I never liked coffee, anyways.

"What did you do?" she screeched. Before she could continue her rant, a loud tinkling interrupted her. The pieces of glass were reforming. Soon, the glass vial once again rested in my hand. You couldn't even tell it had been shattered. Crap.

"Why would you want to play the game?" Julius asked me.

"Easy," I laughed. "There's nothing left for me in my world for me. My family's dead. No one alive loves me. I'll probably be in an insane asylum for the rest of my life. Wonderland's great."

"You'll have to go home eventually," Julius sighed.

"How do you know?" I snapped.

"No one has ever stayed."

"There's a first time for everything," I sneer as I walk out of the door. I'm exhausted. I should've stormed off to a room instead of out the door, but it's too late now. I walk where my feet lead me. Soon, something blocks out the sun. I look up. There's a huge castle in front of me. I'm gazing up at its grandness, when I bump into someone.

"Oh, sorry," I mumble.

"It's fine," the guy laughs. I look up at him. He's just your average guy. Tall, honey colored eyes, and most likely a jerk. He was the kind of guy you found in Hollister. One of the stores I absolutely refused to go into. You needed a gas mask and a flashlight just to go in there. "Hey," he said. "You look exhausted. Want me to get you a room at the castle?"

"Sure," I sighed. It couldn't hurt, right?

"We'll have to see the queen first, though."

"Just take me to see her."

He just started walking. I followed. I could tell he was going the wrong way, though. It was strange. I'd never been here before, but I knew how to get to the queen. Eventually, I ditched him. He was going down some hallway. He'd find his way eventually. I turned right then left then left and through a set of huge doors into the room the queen was in.

"Who are you, child?" the queen thundered. She was beautiful and fierce and confident and amazing.

"I'm Kaelin," I said.

"Are you an outsider, dear?"

"Yes, yes she is," said the weird dude that had tried to bring me here. "I didn't think she'd be here, though. She pushed me down the hole before she did and she didn't land with me."

"Kaelin, you duped the prime minister?"

"If the dude with the white hair and rabbit ears is the prime minister, then yes."

"Oh, excellent," she chimed. "Peter needs someone to lower his self-esteem every now and then. He gets so full of himself sometimes. You look tired. Are you?"

"Yes, Vivaldi," I sighed without thinking. I saw the look of concern cross her face for a flash before disappearing in an instant.

"We'll walk you to a guest room," she said.

She came down off of her throne and motioned for me to follow her. I did. We walked on for several minutes before she spoke again. "How did you know our name without us telling you?"

"I just know things," I said with a foggy mind.

"What things?" she questioned.

"I know about your collection and the rose garden and your brother," I told her carelessly. "But don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I value my head."

"Very well," she said. "Do you know these things about everyone?"

"Yep," I yawned. "I knew you were his sister the first time I saw him. It's how I knew where to find you even though I was following Ace. Just like I knew Peter was the prime minister. I should have known he wasn't an angel, but drugs fog things. That's why I thought this place was hell."

She opened a door and held it open for me. I heard her say before she closed the door, "It is for some of us."

"Hello, my dear," Nightmare welcomed me. "Is your stat enjoyable?"

"No," snapped. "It's been absolutely terrible."

"Why?" he asked, curious.

"Well… Blood Dupre tried to rape me, I may have just given myself a death sentence, and I'm completely stressed out."

I'm crying, suddenly. I shouldn't be surprised. Tears have been coming easier and easier. I feel a warmth surrounding me. Without looking, I knew Nightmare's arms were wrapped around me. It felt good. It was nice to know someone cared about me. He carried me down with him. I sat on his lap and burrowed into his chest. He smoothed my hair and whispered soothing words to me.

"Thank you," I told him.

"It's not a problem at all," he replied. With a kiss from him landing on my forehead, I awoke. I laid in the bed for an eternity trying to will myself back into the dream. The only place where I was wanted.


	5. Adrenaline Rush

I stay in bed until a servant knocks on my door. She's faceless, but I still know everything about her. I'm to report to the garden for a tea party this evening. Yay. Another tea party. I ask the girl for a black ribbon. She gave one to me. I thanked her. She just scurried off. I laced my corset up the front. It would do, but I needed my old ribbon back. The prospect of going back to Hatter's Mansion sickened me, but the ribbon was worth it.

I see the sky dim. That's my cue. I walk dreamily through the halls. I come to the garden much too soon. Vivaldi is there waiting for me. There are no servants around me. We sit in silence for a long, long time before she speaks.

"We will not kill you Kaelin," she said. "We are quite frankly intrigued by you. We, though we may not look like it, love science. An enigma such as yourself, well We cannot resist. How do you know these things? Why are you different? What are you? No outsider before has shown these talents. We shall preform tests. We will understand you."

"Will they hurt?" I whimpered. "The tests, I mean. Will they hurt?"

"Of course not, my dear," she cooed. "Well, maybe a tad. Most of the tests will be psychological. Seeing the extent of your knowledge. We will take cell samples, of course. A cheek swab, a blood test."

Great. I hate needles. I wasn't even allowed to give blood. I always passed out. The people there didn't mind that, though. It was the projectile vomiting that made them ban me. I couldn't see Vivaldi covered in my lunch.

"You look pale, Kaelin," Vivaldi stated, concerned. "Has something We said upset you?"

"I don't like needles," I told her. "I'm not even allowed to give blood."

"Oh, We won't take large amounts," she assured me. "We will only prick your finger and put your blood cells onto a slide. We have a most magnificent microscope."

"That makes me feel much better," I told her honestly.

"Now, relax. Drink some tea. The castle has the most wonderful tea."

"I'm sorry, Vivaldi. I don't much care for tea."

"Why ever not?"

"Well…" I remembered what the "councilors" at the asylum told me. They said I didn't like tea, because my dad had always smelled of it. The drink brought back memories of abandonment, they said. I never believed them. If that theory were true, why would I have learned to play his favorite instrument, the violin, long after he left? "I don't know."

"Interesting," Vivaldi said. "How greatly do you dislike it?"

"I spit it all over your brother when it was scalding hot."

"Really? Why did you take any if you knew you don't like it?"

"He called me a slut."

"I think we're going to be good friends, Kaelin," Vivaldi laughed. "Very good friends."

"Me, too," I agreed.

We continued our tea party without tea. We ate various pastries and talked, about me. It was pointless to talk about her, but I was different. Vivaldi was truly a woman of science. Despite being a few years older than me, she reminded me of my little sister. The two looked nothing alike, but they had similar souls. Both wanted answers. Neither was afraid to get dirty. Neither took no for an answer. They were so similar, yet so different.

The evening eventually ended, giving way to noon. Vivaldi ended the tea party and told me to go off and explore. I didn't dare say no to the queen. I scurried off. I made a conscious decision to go to the amusement park. Now that the drugs of my failed OD had completely worn off, I knew basically everything. Like I knew I needed an adrenaline rush.

I get in line after line. I ride ride after ride. Nothing satisfies my need for adrenaline. I try again and again. I go through rollercoasters, water rides, and almost every other thing in the park. I just skip over the huge pool. It's the middle of the summer, so it's packed. No adrenaline there. Suddenly I see him. Pink hair, black swim trunks, multiple piercings, and cat ears and a tail. Perfect. I run up to him. Before he gets to say a word, I kiss him full on the mouth. I don't open my mouth. I'm not a slut. After a solid minute, I pull away.

"Crap," I say aloud. I didn't even get a little high. The guy looked stunned and confused. It was then that I noticed the old dude beside him.

"Well, well, Boris," he chuckled. "I didn't know you had another girlfriend. I'll play her a song."

He pulled out a violin. It was a tad odd looking, though. He began to play a terrible, shrieking melody. I bet I was the only one that found beauty in it. It was just like I remembered. I walk up to him and gently take the violin out of his hands. I pull it into place and feel it shift in my grip. I play American Idiot. It sounds strange, yet soothing on the instrument. When I finished I hand the violin back to the man.

He immediately begins to question me. He asks, "Who are you? How did you do that?"

I just hug him. He reeks of tea. I tell him the only thing he needs to know, "My name is Kaelin." I see the lack of recognition and use the part of my name I haven't used in years. I repeat, "My name is Kaelin Marie Gowland."

A light sparks in his eyes. He knows who I am. He holds me closer and murmurs into my hair. I'm so happy I swear I could fly. I have found my father. I have achieved the ultimate adrenaline rush.


	6. The Amusement Park

**A.N: Sorry about the late update. My computer crashed 5 times in a row, because my little sister can't get it through her head to not download stuff off of the internet without checking with me. Stupid pretty cursors… Oh and sorry for the double chapter. My computer is REALLY stupid. (So is my sister…)**

**By the way I keep forgetting the disclaimer so: I own nothing but Kaelin. Enjoy!**

Of course with my luck, happiness or adrenaline couldn't last. I got to spend a whole five minutes with my dad after twelve years without him. Of course the one to ruin my day had to be the Devil of Wonderland himself. He came out of the crowd with Elliot by his side.

"Kaelin, stay with Boris," he told me absently. "Have a good time. I have business."

Thanks to my amazing deduction skills, I was able to figure out who Boris was. I angrily took his hand and stormed off. I was fuming. I couldn't believe Blood. He was a constant thorn in my side.

"I take it you don't like Blood," Boris stated.

"More or less hate," I growled.

"Want ice cream?" he offered. I couldn't resist. He got chocolate and I got strawberry. I hadn't had ice cream in forever. They don't allow such pleasantries in St. Margret's Mental Institution. No ice cream, shoes, or vaguely sharp or pointed items. It wasn't a great place to grow up.

"What's that?" I asked him pointing to a rollercoaster looking thing.

"Oh, that's one of the old man's new inventions. A teacup ride and a roller coaster in one. It's still being tested for safety, though."

Those were my two favorite rides when I was little. I grew out of the teacup rides, but the rollercoasters never got old. There was only one thing to say, "Let's ride."

Being the owner's daughter had its perks. There were no questions asked when I walked up to the coaster and asked to be let on. Boris rode beside me. I buckled the seatbelt at my waist and grabbed onto the wheel in front of me. It was the best ride ever. It was fast. It spun. It was my kind of ride. It ended all too soon. As soon as it stopped, Boris ran off to a nearby building. I followed him.

The door was open. I walked in. The walls were covered in guns. There was a bed. The door to the bathroom was open. I heard retching sounds coming from inside. Sure enough, Boris was over the toilet. It was going to get all through his hair. I pulled his hair back from his face and held it. I sat there by his side and listened to him puke up everything he'd had to eat today.

"Sorry about that," he said when he was done.

"No problem," I laughed. "The girl next door at St. Margaret's was bulimic. I'm used to it."

"Still, you shouldn't have to put up with this now."

"Ugh," I sighed. "Just brush your teeth."

"Yeah I should probably do that." He smiled sheepishly. I went out into the main room and sat on his bed. It was squishy. My corset was covered in sweat, so I took that off, and put on a bra and my T-shirt. I sat there for a minute or two before the door was kicked in. I rolled across the floor spy-style and grabbed a gun off of the wall. It was loaded. I aimed without taking notice of who it was. I pulled the trigger and the intruder dropped to the ground.

"Dammit, Kaelin," Elliot hissed clutching his leg, but from where he was holding I think I hit a much more sensitive spot. "What did you do that for?"

"What happened?" Boris said running out of the bathroom. "I heard gunshots." He then looked at Elliot and burst out laughing. "Nice aim, Kaelin," he laughed.

"Not funny," Elliot moaned.

"Hey what happened?" the twin in blue asked.

"I think Kaelin shot the chicken rabbit!" his twin pointed out. Then, they both started rolling on the floor laughing their heads off.

"It's not funny," Elliot groaned. I immediately rushed over to him. I ran my hands over the bullet hole and found out I had hit a much more sensitive place.

"Boris go get me some towels," I ordered.

"But he'll get blood all over them!" he protested.

"BORIS! TOWELS! NOW!" I snapped. He obliged. Blood was seeping out fast. I needed something to soak some of it up. I ripped off my T-shirt and put pressure on the wound. Where the hell was Boris with those towels?

"Elliot, I understand you have needs, but we're here on business." I look up to see none other than the Devil of Wonderland himself. "Looks like the slut is living up to her name."

"Oh, shut up, Blood," I snapped. "I shot him."

"Likely story." That infuriated me, but I smile a bit when I saw his black eye and bent nose.

"Kaelin, I got the-" Boris cut off and his mouth hung open. I was about to ask what the problem was, when I realized I was wearing only a bra and a skirt. In front of Elliot and Blood and the twins and Boris. I sighed and grabbed a towel from Boris and replaced my shirt with it. I went through the small pile of towels fast, though. How much blood was in these people? I sighed and took off my towel/shirt when the last of the towels was soaked trough. Soon, the blood stopped seeping out. I sat back.

"What was that?" Julius asked. Oh great. And Julius now, too.

"I shot Elliot. The blood was coming out really fast. Boris was taking one hell of a long time with the towels, so I had to use my shirt. Any more questions?"

"Um, yeah," Ace said. Great. How many guys in Wonderland haven't seen me without a shirt on, now? "Vivaldi wants you to come to the castle. She said something about having a session?"

"She wants you to come as soon as possible. We don't want the queen to be angry, do you?" Peter, too. What a great day.

"Oh, yeah. Boris, do you have a shirt that isn't leather?" He tossed me a black T-shirt. "Thanks."

I walked out of the room, only to see my dad standing there. How was I going to explain this one?

"Kaelin…" he started.

"I'll explain later, Dad," I managed to say before Ace and Peter whisked me away. After all, we were late for a very important date.


	7. In the Name of Science

**AN: Okay. I don't really like this chapter. It's short, but it had to be written. Oh, and I feel like giving you some incentive to keep reading. On my birthday, May 27, I will be introducing a MAJOR plot twist (also I will FINALLY be turning 14). Read on reviewers and people that like this and choose not to review! Read on!**

"Ah, Kaelin, I see you've made it," Vivaldi said.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I grumbled back.

"Ace. Peter. Leave."

"Yes, Vivaldi." They bowed then left the room.

"Now," she smiled. "Let us begin."

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The DNA samples weren't that bad. They were just a cheek swab and a finger prick. Vivaldi took them over to her super mega cool giant microscope (which just so happened to be beside her super mega cool giant telescope) and gasped. She beckoned me over. I obliged. You don't just ignore the queen, do you?

"Look, this is some of my blood," she told me. The magnified blood on the slide looked like a bunch of interlocking gears. I was shocked. It must've shown on my face, because she said, "Shocking, isn't it? Every person native to this place's blood looks like this. We may look human, but when you get right down to it, we're just clocks. Now look at this, this is blood I… acquired from Alice."

This blood looked like the slides we studied in biology in seventh grade. Then, she showed me mine. It didn't exactly look like hers or Alice's. It had the gear shape, but they didn't interlock. I didn't understand what significance this had. Vivaldi explained.

"You are the first cross breed I've ever seen of this kind. It seems as though you cells have the basic gear shape, as do all of the residents of Wonderland, but they didn't interlock, so you're not a clock. Instead they flow freely through your veins, much like Alice's red blood cells. I believe they flow in an orderly fashion, though. Thus they move more quickly throughout your body, this may somewhat account for your ability. That's enough biology for today, though. I would like you to tell me about your family, now."

"Alright, there's not much to say, though," I told her. She encouraged me anyways. "I'll start with my mother. She was nice when Dad was around, but when he left, she turned cold and mean. When my… ability began to come in, she told me I was crazy. She put me in a mental hospital. I checked in to St. Maggie's on my thirteenth birthday. She never visited. That's it. Let's move on to my brother now, shall we?"

She nodded. I began, "Erick always was my preferred sibling. He was older than me. He joined the military. He was nice, sweet, and kind. He always visited at least once a week when he was home. He wrote letters when he wasn't. I never got them, though. At least, not until I was released. He was so, so sweet sometimes. He was dead by that point, of course."

I was choking up. Great. I left the topic of Erick and moved on to Ellie. "Ellie was my little sister. She was always asking why. She loved science. You remind me a lot of her. She was only eight, I believe. I know she would have visited me if she could have driven herself. They all died in a car crash. They were only my half- siblings, but they were as close to be as full blood."

"You said they were your half siblings?" Vivaldi questioned.

"Yes. They were."

"On whose side?"

"My mother's neither of them knew their fathers. My mother worked in a bar. She would bring home all kind of drunks. That's why both of their names began with E. My mother hated the letter E. She must've loved my father, because she loved K. I don't know why, but K always was her favorite letter."

I was bawling by now. I hadn't thought of my family in such detail in a long time. It hurt. It really hurt. I hadn't felt such pain in a long time. The loony bin I was locked up in numbed me. Apparently, not enough. I still felt the pain of their loss.

"Vivaldi, I think that's enough for today," I said.

"Very well," she replied. "I will need time to process this information."

I left her in that laboratory pondering my family. I hadn't told her everything, though. Not nearly everything. Suddenly, I was back in the church. My mother's perfume was suffocating me. It was a disgusting mix between lilacs and dead cat. I'd always hated it. His body heat scorched me alive. Erick always had been warm blooded. The hospital was always so cold. His arms were one of the few things that kept me from going cold on the inside, too. Finally, Elllie's laugh echoed off of the walls. It was like tinkling bells on a Christmas sleigh. It could make an old miser crack a smile. The walls closed in. It got hotter. It got louder. It got smellier. This time I had no pills to help me escape. I just curled up into a ball in the middle of the hallway and endured the pain. And I prayed for it to end. I prayed to every god I could think of. It didn't help.


	8. Bon Jovi

**Okay. I know this is kind of late, but my stupid computer got a virus and it misplaced the file. Between school and other stuff it's taken me forever to find it. So here it is. I don't own anything except Kaelin. Enjoy.**

My mental breakdown didn't last very long. I had absolutely no idea where I was. One good thing comes from those breakdowns, though. They put my powers temporarily. It was nice to stumble around without knowing who was around the corner. After a while I made my way outside. My powers were coming back. I knew about the chase on the other side of the hedge. I knew everything about the two soldiers chasing… Boris. What kind of trouble could that damn cat have gotten into now?

I jumped the hedge prepared to save his ass. Sure enough, they turned the corner seconds later.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I don't know who I was screaming at, the guards or Boris. The guards seemed to think it was them.

"Sorry miss," one of them said. "We were simply trying to do our job by catching the intruder."

"It's fine, Sam," I sighed. The guard seemed shocked that I knew his name. I shrugged off his unease and turned to leave. "Come on you stupid cat."

Boris followed me. He was pretty scraped up, but I was too pissed at him to care. He could be so reckless and stupid sometimes. Just like…me.

"You didn't have to do that," he grumbled. That was the final straw.

"What the hell are you talking about! If I hadn't stepped in you'd be dead! Do you hear me? D-E-A-D DEAD! Are you an idiot!"

"What does it matter? If I die someone takes my place. It's no big deal."

"You MORON! It wouldn't be YOU! It'd be some other idiot that might not be such a pushover!"

"I am NOT a pushover."

"Yeah, right. Prove it."

That made him suitably enraged, but I needed to push him over the edge. Then, I spun around and knocked him off of his feet. That did it.

"You little BIIIIITCH!" he screamed, but I was already running. I easily scaled a tree and hopped from oak to oak using their leaves for cover. Boris was running below me with a gun aimed at me. I laughed. I laughed like I hadn't laughed in a long time. I sat down on a branch and laughed until my sides ached. After a while, Boris came up to join me.

"What are you laughing about?" he asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. That's why it's so funny," I giggled.

"That's weird."

"Exactly! Isn't it wonderful?"

"Sure…whatever."

"Hey! What are you two doing up there?" I didn't have to look down to know it was Elliot. We had wandered on to Hatter territory.

"Hi, Elliot!" I screeched. "Come on up! There's plenty of room!"

"I really shouldn't…" I could hear the unsureness in his voice. It wouldn't take much to convince him.

"Please? It would be really cool of you," I begged.

"Well, maybe for just a bit. It couldn't hurt." With surprising ease he scaled the tree. He sat down on the branch beside me. It was surprisingly sturdy. I supported all of our weight. I was shocked.

I tried to start a conversation, but it wasn't easy. The two were from different territories. I doubted the two had ever spoken more than two words to each other. After a while, I found something they both had something to say about: Vivaldi. Neither seemed to have anything good to say about the Red Queen. We laughed and talked the afternoon away. If we tried, I knew the three of us could be great friends.

"Get down here you three!" Blood's voice shocked all of us. We all jerked suddenly. The sudden change in weight caused our sturdy branch to break. The death of Mr. Branch caused us to plummet to the ground fifteen feet below us. Blood was waiting with a cocked gun. He pointed it Elliot first.

"Fraternizing with the enemy I see, Elliot. I'll deal with you later." Then, he pointed the gun at Boris. "I'll let Mary handle you." Then the gun came my way. "As for you… I've always wanted to kill an Outsider."

I knew what was coming before he pulled the trigger. Elliot and Boris realized too late. They moved toward me to try to block its path, but they were too slow. The bullet embedded itself into my chest. I know as I laid there dying in their arms, I know I should've been thinking about my life or my family or something important, but all that ran through my mind was the chorus of that old Bon Jovi song.

_ Shot through the heart, but you're too late. You give love a bad name. Shot through the heart, but you're too late. You give love a bad name. Shot through the heart, but you're too late. You give love a bad name. Shot through the heart, but you're too late…_

When the blackness was making it hard to think, a blinding white light took over my vision. Once it dimmed down, I couldn't believe my eyes.

**What did she see? I have no idea. Yep, that's it from me. Yes, I know it's a cliffhanger, but use those little brains of yours. Think something up. I know yunz have imaginations. Apply yourselves. I'm out. Peace and Ninjas.**


	9. In Which No One Dies

** I know I said I was done, and I honestly thought I was, but I'm not. I'm not sure how much longer it will be. I'm actually working on another fic as well right now, but I'm not sure if I'll post it. Oh, and sorry if my writing style is different. It's been a while. Anyways. Here it goes. I own nothing.**

Blood's stupid face was inches away from mine. I promptly spit in his face. He deserved it, after trying to kill me. He looked just as shocked as I was. I was going to have to talk to Vivaldi about this. Boris and Elliot were just staring at me.

"Kaelin?" Elliot tentatively asked.

"What?" I said.

"Blood just shot you. In the heart. You shouldn't be alive," he stated.

"I'm quite aware. You know, the resounding pain in my chest is just a bit of a reminder. I need to see Vivaldi. See you later."

I dashed off through the forest, making my own shortcut to the castle. The maze was no problem, and I was at the queen's chamber within minutes. Peter was outside and the door was closed. One look at Peter's face told me all I need to know. It was an execution. It wasn't anything I wanted to see, so I decided to come back later. I walked straight past Peter without a second glance, and delved deeper into the castle.

Not three minutes into my journey Iran into a camping Ace. I really didn't want to talk to him, but when he caught my eye, I didn't have a choice.

"Hey, Kaelin!" he called, jogging up to me. "Do you know where the main chamber is? There're some executions I'm supposed to be at, but I got lost."

"Sure Ace," I sighed. He happily packed up his camp. I led him back to the throne room, but this time, the door was open. A not so happy Vivaldi was sitting with her legs crossed and her lips pursed with a smiling Peter standing to her right.

"Ace, where were you?" she hissed.

"I was almost here, but I got lost, you know?" he sheepishly smiled.

"That is no excuse. We're afraid the next execution you will be attending will be- Oh, Kaelin, when did you get here?" Her sudden change in topic and volume was shocking.

"I just got here," I told her. "I found Ace, and brought him here."

"Darling, you must be our designated Ace finder. We swear, that boy would get lost in a paper bag. Now, why did you come to see us?"

"I have some questions that only you can answer."

"Very well. Come now." I followed her out of the room and to a table in the garden. "What do you have to tell us?"

"Blood shot me about fifteen minutes ago."

"What!" she cried.

"That was my response, as well. The thing is, he shot me in the heart. I shouldn't be alive right now, let alone perfectly fine."

"We see. That is most peculiar. We must take a few tissue samples. We daresay it will require quite some large needles."

"Okay. Let's get this over with," I sighed. Vivaldi led me to a room with a sterile while table big enough for a person to lie down on. I automatically and laid down.

"Now, take off your shirt and close your eyes," she ordered. I pulled off my bloodstained shirt and sealed my eyes as tight as they would go. I knew this would involve an extremely large needle being plunged into my chest. I turned my head away from Vivaldi as a courtesy. I would hate to ruin her dress.

As predicted, the instant the needle broke the skin, everything I'd eaten recently came flying out of my mouth at record speeds. It just kept going down and down and down until I was sure it would come out of my back. It didn't, thankfully. It was pulled out abruptly, and Vivaldi ran out of the room as soon as her sample was safe. I took my time getting dressed again, since I knew where she'd gone.

It wasn't long before I found Vivaldi enthralled with her microscope. She was undoubtedly staring at my blood sample. Her eyes were wide and she was fiddling with knobs like crazy. She was so focused that she didn't notice my presence in the room for several minutes after I arrived.

"You truly are an incredible specimen, Kaelin" she said. "Even just your blood is incredible."

She gestured for me to take a look, and I did. She was right. It was incredible. My normally free-floating gear-shaped blood cells were knit together and turning rapidly. As they turned, more and more were being produce. I was healing myself. All of my other cells were probably doing the same thing. This was why I never died no matter how many times I overdosed or fell or, more recently, got shot.

"You heal at unprecedented rates. We have never seen the likes of it before. We'll do some more tests to confirm it, but it appears as though you are incredibly hard to kill. The others shall enjoy the challenge."

"I'm glad I'll be so entertaining," I said. "Thank you, Vivaldi. I must go now. The others must be worried."

"Of course. We will be in the castle if you need us."

I left her pondering my weird genetics. I needed to get back to Boris and Elliot to let them know. There was a very slim chance that they'd actually believe me, though. I might let them try to kill me to prove it. Almost dying wasn't that bad. Sure it was painful, but it was harmless. I was walking through the maze when I heard a scream.

Powered by a hero complex I wasn't aware I possessed, I ran toward the sound. Boris held Pierce up by his collar and had a gun against his temple. I couldn't believe they were actually following the old cat and mouse stereotype. I just shook my head.

"Boris, if you even think of pulling that trigger, I'll beat you into next week," I stated.

"Kaelin," he said, turning around to face me. The gun dropped to his side, and Pierce scurried behind me. "You're alright?"

"Perfectly fine," I told him. "It turns out I'm pretty hard to kill."

"How hard?" he asked.

"Shoot me," I ordered.

"What?" was his only response.

"You heard me. Shoot me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, and make it a good shot."

"If you insist," he sighed. He raised his gun and shot me in the chest. It wasn't lethal by far, but it would do. I could feel the pain in my chest be replaced by a growing warmth until it felt like it was on fire. Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. I pulled off my shirt to show him the scar.

"See? I'm fine."

"So are you immortal?" he asked.

"I highly doubt it," I replied. "It has something to do with weirdly shaped cells, and I'm not really sure how it works. I'll probably die if you do enough of a number on me, but let's not find out. Besides, I couldn't leave yet. My vial isn't full."

He smiled. "Well now that that's all cleared up, can I get back to killing the rat?"

"No. Now come on. We need to find Elliot and Blood."

"I understand wanting to share the news with Elliot, but you hate Blood."

"Which is why I need to rub this in his face. Now come on."

Boris followed me with little resistance. He probably wanted to see the look on the devil's face when I told him as much as I did. Pierce ran off to somewhere far away from Boris, and I ran to the Hatter Mansion. I couldn't wait to share the news.


End file.
